Gas range petcock shield



Sept. 28, 1937. v A|DALA 2,094,441

GAS RANGE PETCOCK SHIELD Filed April 6, 1937 A INVENTOR 7 VINCENT A IDALA ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFlCE 3Claims.

One object of this invention is the provision of a shield adapted to bemounted on gas ranges, to serve the purpose of enclosing the petcockswhen the range is not in use, to prevent inadvertent "turning on of thegas by children in the absence of their elders.

The above and other objects willbecome apparent in the descriptionbelow, in which characters of reference refer to like-named parts in"the accompanying drawing.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view,illustrating the application of the device to a gas range and showingthe device in closed position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front view of the same, partly in section,showing the device in open position.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the same line as Figure 3,but with the device in closed position.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral Ill represents an outercylindrical housing secured to the front of a gas range by means ofsuitable spaced-apart-brackets II and I2 or the like. The housing I hasa'longitudinal cut-out opening or slot I3 extending over the greaterportion of the length of the housing. An inner cylinder I4 of an outsidediameter equal to the inside diameter of the housing I0, is rotatablymounted within the latter and is also provided with a longitudinalopening or slot 22 of the same dimensions as the Opening I3. The lengthof the cylinder is less than that of the housing IIl, so that a space isprovided at the right-hand end (Figure 1) of the cylinder I4.

The series of stems I of the petcocks I6 project through holes in thehousing Ill and through peripheral slots I! cut through the cylinder I4.The slots I'I have right-angled extensions I8, and. at the extremitiesof the extension slots I8 notches I9 are provided which extend in thesame downward direction as the slots I'I. Each continuous slot I'I-I8-I9constitutes a single bayonet slot in the cylinder I4.

In the lower rear quadrant of the housing Ill (Figure 5), a resilienttongue 20, projecting into the housing I0, is formed near the right-handend (Figure 2) of the housing by cutting out a ribbon-like section fromthe cylinder I0 and forcing it inward. A similar operation is performedon the cylinder I4 in the upper right-hand quadrant (when the device isopen, but in the lower right-hand quadrant, as in Figure 5, when thedevice is closed) at a point adjacent its righthand end (Figure 2) toform a depression 2I in the outer surface of the cylinder I4. A knurledknob or handle 23 is provided outside the end of the housing Ill, andhas a stem 24 passing loosely and axially through the end wall of thehousing. The stem 23 is rigid with the end wall of the inner cylinderI4.

The operation of the device is as follows. As

suming that the range is in use so that the petcocks may be turned onand off, the cylinder I4 is in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3,that is, the longitudinal opening I3 of the cylinder I0 is coincidentwith the similar longitudinal opening 22 of the cylinder I4. Thus, thepetcocks IB are freely accessible through these aligned openings. Whenit is desired to shield the petcocks to lock the same against tamperingby children, the knob is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction(Figures 1 and 3) to rotate the cylinder I4 throughv an are equal to theperipheral length of the slot IT. The knob 23 is then pulled outwardfrom the housing I0, thus carrying with it the cylinder I4 and causingthe petcock stems I5 to ride through the horizontal slots I8. When thestems I5 are in the extremities of the slots I 8, the knob is rotated ina clockwise direction until the stems I5 rest in the notches I9. Duringthe movements just described, the depression 2| in the cylinder I4 hasbeen first moved downward (Figure 2) to the position shown in brokenlines at 2 la. When the cylinder I4 is moved to the right while thestems I 5 ride through the slots I8, the depression 2 I is moved to theposition shown at 2 lb in Figure 2. In the final movement of thecylinder I4 downward so that the stems I5 reach the extremities of thenotches I9, the depression 2lb will ride over the resilient tongue 20until the tongue will register in the depression and thus releasablylock the cylinders I0 and I4 together, with the wall of the cylinder l4acting as a shutter to close the opening I3 through the cylinder I0. Itwill thus be difficult for any child without the exercise ofconsiderable ingenuity and physical effort t restore the device to itsopen position, and hence the petcocks I6 will be shielded againsttampering.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising an outer cylinder securedto a gas range and having ment and giving access to the petcocks in oneposition of said inner cylinder, said inner cylinder being rotatable torotate its said opening out of alignment with the opening in said outercylinder to close the opening through said outer cylinder.

2. A device of the class described comprising an outer cylinder securedto a gas range and having a the petcock stems of the range projectingthereinto, said cylinder having a longitudinal opening in its forwardwall giving access to the petcocks, an inner cylinder rotatably mountedWithin and of a shorter length than said outer cylinder, a handle onsaid inner cylinder projecting through said outer cylinder, said innercylinder having a plurality of bayonet slots, each of said petcock stemsprojecting through one of said bayonet slots, said inner cylinder havinga long'itudinal opening therein, said openings being in alignment andgiving access to the petcocks in one position of said inner cylinder,said inner 2,094,441 a j' H cylinder being rotatable to rotate its saidopening out of alignment with the opening in said outer cylinder toclose the opening through said outer cylinder, and resilient means forreleasably locking said cylinders together in said latter position.

3. A device of the class described comprising an outer cylinder securedto a gas range and having the petcock stems of the range projectingthereinto, said cylinder having a longitudinal opening in its forwardwall giving access to the petcocks, an inner cylinder rotatably mountedWithin and of a shorter length than said outer cylinder, a handle onsaid inner cylinder projecting through said outer cylinder, said innercylinder having a plurality of bayonet slots, each of said petcock stemsprojecting through one of said bayonet slots, said inner cylinder havinga longitudinal opening therein, said openings being in alignment andgiving access to the petcocks in one position of said inner cylinder,said inner cylinder being rotatable to rotate its said opening out ofalignment with the opening in said outer cylinder toclose the openingthrough said outer cylinder, resilient means for releasably locking saidcylinders in said latter position, said means comprising a resilienttongue in said outer cylinder, said inner cylinder having a depressiontherein, said tongue being adapted to register in said depression. 7

VINCENT AIDALA.

